Tuft guard mechanism



July 8, 1958 B. SJGGREN TUFT GUARD MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 29, 1954 INVENTOR.

July 8, 1958 B. SJGGREN 2,842,401

TUF T GUARD MECHANISM Filed Nov. 29, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 07 e 0 rem, By J J 3 )M r July 8, 1958 B. SJOGREN TUFT GUARD MECHANISM Filed Nov. '29, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 TUFT GUARD MECHANISM Eiirje Sjiigren, Goteborg, Sweden, assignor to (garrison Tool and Machine Company, a corporation of iihnors Appiication November 29, 1954, Serial N 471,872

14 Claims. (Cl. see-4) The invention relates to a brush-making machine having a tufting device and, in particular, to a tuft guard and tuft guard actuating mechanism for use in conjunction with such a tufting device.

The general method of making brushes, well-known in the art, is that wherein tufts of bristles are placed in holes contained in the brush body and retained therein by wire staples. When brushes having tufts closely spaced one to another, for example toothbrushes, are made, it has been found that considerable interference with successive tuft insertions is caused by portions of the preceding tufts extending into the path thereof. Such interference results in improper insertion of the succeeding tuft and produces a defective brush wherein portions of tufts are retained in two holes improperly extending therebetween. To preclude this, tuft guards are employed which act to remove any extraneous portion of previously inserted tufts from the path of the succeeding tuft being inserted.

Such a tuft guard or tumbler is reciprocatorily operated I so as to press against the preceding tuft during the insertion of the succeeding tuft, move outwardly so as to clear the succeeding tuft after insertion, move to a position be yond said last inserted tuft, and move into a position where it presses against the last inserted tuft, with the cycle being continuously repeated. It can thus be seen that an oscillation of the tuft guard must be produced which will be in timed relation to the tufting operation. Further, as brush-making machines are generally provided with tufting devices which operate to fill a series of holes lying on a straight line with relative motion of the brush body and the tufting device being in a given single direction, relative motion of the brush body and tufting device being reversed to allow filling of the holes of a second line spaced parallel to the first line, the oscillations of the tuft guard must be in opposing directions for one line relative to the other.

The means commonly found in the art for providing such oscillatory motion to the tuft guard have serious disadvantages in that they are provided with cams which must be precisely made to accurately time the oscillatory reversals and which require complete replacement when brushes of different characteristics are made. Further, such presently found devices have means for providing the oscillations which produce uneven throws, necessitating undesirable compensatory adjustments.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved means for actuating a tuft guard.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for oscillating a tuft guard having a driving means which will positively engage during at least a part of the oscillatory cycle so as accurately and definitely to reciprocate the tuft guard.

A further object of the invention is to provide means 7 for reciprocatorily actuating a tuft guard having driving means producing linearly reciprocatory motion and new and improved means to convert said reciprocatory motion to ,rotative oscillatory motion.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a' 2,842,401 i atented July 8, 1958 means to convert linear reciprocatory motion of a driving means to rotative oscillatory motion of a tuft guard having cam means to guide, a drive member attached to said driving means in a plurality of paths to cause said oscillation to be multidirectional.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide cam means, such as described in the preceding paragraph, having a shuttle adjustably positioned to automatically select one of the guide paths to effectuate the oscillation of the tuft guard in the desired direction.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a means for reciprocatorily actuating a tuft guard having cam means provided with a shuttle, a movable member operating in timed relation to the tufting device provided with adjustably positioned dogs and connecting.

means actuated by said dogs to selectively position the shuttle.

' Yet a further object of the invention is to provide improved means for connecting to a shuttle as described above and to be actuated by dogs on a movable member operating in timed relation to the tufting device which will act to allow proper operation of the shuttle notwithstanding slight inaccuracies in the positioning of the controlling dogs.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a shuttle actuating means which yieldingly urges the shuttle toward the newly selected position prior to the time the drive member allows such repositioning, and maintains the urging force until the drive member moves to an extreme position when the shuttle willbe instantaneously snapped into its new position.

Other features and advantages of this invention willbe apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a tuft guard act-nating mechanism embodying the invention, mounted on a brush-making machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 55 of Fig. 4 and showing the actuation of the crank arm flange with the shuttle in the forward position;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 but shows the actuation of the crank flange with the shuttle disposed in the reverse position; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 7-'7 of Fig. 4 with the shuttle in the reverse position, in full lines, and in forward position in broken lines.

Referring now to the drawings and, in particular to Fig. 1, the means for actuating the tuft guard are mounted on and form an integral part of a brush-making machine 9, and comprise a driving means generally designated 10, a cam means generally designated 2t) and a directionalizing control means generally designated 30. The tuft guard generally designated 40 in Fig. 4 is actuated by the driving means, the motion transmitted thereto being controlled by the cam means and the directional.- izing control means.

Drive means 1ft comprises a newand improved means for converting a unidirectional rotary motion into a linearly reciprocatory motion. As can best be seen in Figs.

2, 3 and 4, a crosshead 11 is pivotally attached through a slide 12 to a pin 13a fixedly mounted on the power supply means comprising a unidirectionally rotatingdrive.

nism (not shown) of the brush-making machine; Slide 12 is further slidably retained in a crosshead longitudinal 3 slot 11a. At one end, crosshead ll is provided with a boss 11!) adapted for the connection thereto of rod or arm 13. This arm 13 is adapted to extend into cam meansZt), having its end therein provided with actuating means 13 comprising a block 13a carrying a laterally extending slide pin 13b. The specific co-operating functioning of pin 13b and cam means 26 will be later'described; however, at this point, it is sufficient for comprehension of the functioning of my invention. that it be understood that the movement of the pin is restricted by the cam means generally to a linear path so that arm 13 is constrained generally to longitudinal displacement.

At the end oppositethat containing boss 11b, crosshead 11 is provided with an adjustably positioned stop screw 11c arranged to extend longitudinally into slot liar and acting as a positive contact member between slide is and crosshead 11. A U-shaped extension bracket 14 is secured to the crosshead portion adjacent screw lie at its leg portion 14a and is provided with a parallel spaced portion 14b to which one end of a tension spring 15 is attached. The other end of the spring is attached to slide extension 12a so that the spring will extend longitudinally parallel to the crosshead 11 while being spaced a short distance therefrom.

It can be seen that as wheel 18 rotates fromthe position shown in Figs. 2 and 4, slide 12 will move away from cam means 20. As spring 15 is most fully extended in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4, it will in that position act most forcibly to urge crosshead 11 toward cam means 20. As slide 12 moves further from cam means 20, it correspondingly moves toward portion 14b until it strikes the end of stop screw 11c. Further motion of the slide in the direction away from cam means 26) will force crosshead 11 in that direction and so correspondingly move arm 13 and pin 13b attached thereto. When wheel 18 has rotated 180 from the position of Figs. 2 and 4, the pin 18a will have reached its extreme position away from cam means 20 and further rotation will bring it toward cam means 29. Spring 15 will continue to urge screw 110 into abutment with slide 12 until the position of the crosshead is such that pin 1317 has again reached the extreme of its travel in cam means 20 (the position shown in Fig. 4) and further travel of the slide towards cam means 20 will merely extend the spring 15 so as to more forcibly hold pin 13b in this position.

The movement of pin 13b is thus made linearly reciprocatory, the specific direction of which may be controlled by cam means 20. Adjustment of stop 110 allows a positive contact between the rotating members and the crosshead members to move pin 13b and a resilient connection therebetween to retain the pin at rest.

The construction and functioning of cam means 20 can best be seen in Figs. 4 to 7. Fixedly attached to the brush-making machine frame 9 is a housing 21 comprising a cup-shaped member 21a having an opening 21a and a cover plate 21b removably secured to member 210 by suitable connecting means such as screws 21c so as to form a generally cylindrical cavity therebetween. One portion of rod 13 extends into this housing through a notch 21a" provided in one portion of member 21a.- Mounted on the end of the rod and disposed within the housing are the block 13a and the pin 13b. A portion of cover plate 21b is provided with a groove 21b, the configuration of which may be best seen in Fig. 7. Pivotally mounted on plate 21b and retained within groove 21b is a shuttle 23 which may be selectively positioned to the position shown in Fig.7 in full lines or the position shown in dotted lines by directionalizing control means to be later described.

7 -It may now be seen that pin 13b will be guided along the path angularly leftward in Fig. 7 when the shuttle is in the position shown in full lines (reverse position). Correspondingly, the pin will be guided angularly rightwardly when the shuttle is in the position shown in dotted lines (forward position). Thus, the longitudinally reciprocatory movement of rod 13 of the driving means 10 may be selectively utilized to impart a linearly reciprocatory movement of pin 1312 along either of two angularly disposed paths.

A stub shaft 41 extends through the opening Zla and is journalled therein in a bearing 21d retained in the opening. At the end terminating within the housing, the shaft is provided with a laterally extending flanged portion 4111 having a radially extending groove 41a in which one portion of pin 13b is received. An extension rod one end of which carries the tuft guard 4-2, is fixedly connected to shaft 41 at the opposite end by a collar 41c.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, the functioning of tuft guard actuating rod flange 41a may be best seen. With the shuttle 23 positioned as shown in Fig. 7 (full lines), the movement of pin 13b is angularly leftward in Fig. 7 and thus angularly rightward in Fig. 6. As pin 13b slidably moves in the leftwardly extending portion of slot 21b and the slot 41s, it will cause flange 41a to pivot to the position shown in dotted lines and then back to the position shown in solid lines. This pivotal oscillation will continue to occur as long as the shuttle is maintained in this position and the driving means impart the necessary linearly reciprocatory movement to the pin. It can be seen that when the shuttle is in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, movement of pin 13b will be angularly leftward as seen in Fig. 5. Pivotal oscillation of the flange 41a will be reversed to that of Fig. 6; but in all other respects will be similar.

This pivotal oscillation will cause rotation of shaft 41 and the rod 411; reciprocatorily so that tuft guard deflector or tumbler 42 may be selectively repetitively oscillatorily rotated a maximum of either out of the plane of the paper or into the paper as seen in Fig. 4. Positive drive contact is made between slide 12 and crosshead screw during less than one-half of the rotation of wheel 16. Guard deflector 42 will thus be in the position shown in Fig. 4 the greater part of the time and will periodically kick in the selected direction. The relative period of time taken for these two phases of operation may be controlled by adjustment of the screw 110 which also controls the distance that pin 13]) is moved toward drive means 10, thus controlling the degree of angular deflection of the tuft guard deflector Referring now to Fig. 2, the directionalizing control means 35 may be seen. Fixedly attached to shuttle 23 by screw means 31a is crank arm 31. The other end of crank arm 31 is pivotallly secured through pin means 31b to an actuating rod 32. Adjustably mounted on arm 32 are two collars 32a spaced apart and a sleeve 33 disposed intermediate therebetween. Two coil springs 32b are mounted on arm 32 each arranged to have one end abut one collar and the other end abut sleeve 33. Collars 32 may be fixedly attached to the arm by means of screws 32a so that sleeve 33 will resultingly be resiliently longitudinally positioned on the arm at the desired position.

A triangular plate 34 is pivotally attached (by pin 35a) to a base 35 which is fixedly secured to the brush-making machine frame. One apex of plate 34 is pivotally secured to sleeve 33 by pin 33a and the opposite apex of the plate is yieldingly attached to the base by a spring 34a and stud 340'. Spring 34a is adapted to urge plate 34 rotatively counterclockwise as seen in Fig. 2, which urges sleeve 33 generally leftward and through arm 32 urges crank arm 31 in a clockwise direction. This will position shuttle'23 in the reverse position as shown in full lines of Fig. 7.

The counterclockwise travel of the plate 34 is limited by a stop 35b mounted on the base 35. Slight adjustments of the stop positioning are made through adjustment of the eceentrically mounted bearing portion 35b.

To effectuate a reversal of the positioning of the shuttle, a unidirectionally rotating wheel 36 is provided having aaaaaor latching dogs 36a and release dogs 36b adjustably 'pe ripherally mounted. The rotation of wheel 36 is in timed relation to the tufting mechanism. Pivotally mounted on base 35 by pin means 35c is latch arm 37. One end of the latch arm is provided with a dog contacting roller 37a and one edge of the arm is centrally provided with a stop engaging notch 371). A stop 34b is mounted on plate 34 and a spring 37c is connected between latch arm 37 and base 35 urging the arm pivotally counterclockwise so as to bring the notch bearing edge of the arm into contact with stop 34b.

In the position shown in Fig. 2, release dog 3615 has contacted roller 37a, moving arm 37 a small amount clockwise, which releases the engagement of the stop 34b in the notch 37b and allows the action of spring 34a before described to actuate the directionalizing control members to position the shuttle 23 in the reverse position. As wheel 36 rotates further counterclockwise, dog 3611 will lose contact with the roller 37a and arm 37 will rest against the stop 34b. However, as the wheel rotates still further, latch dog 36a will contact a roller 34c mounted at the remaining apex of plate 34 and rotate the plate clockwise around the pivot 3511 against the action of spring 34a, thus moving sleeve 33 rightwardly whereby shuttle 23 will be positioned in the forward position as seen in Fig. 7 (dotted lines). It can be seen in Fig. 2, as the plate rotates clockwise, stop 34b will be moved along the edge of arm 37 until it is allowed to engage notch 37b. As wheel 36 rotates further counterclockwise and dog 36a loses contact with roller 34c, plate 3% will be prevented from counterclockwise rotation under the urging of spring Eda by stop 3412 being retained in the notch 37!). Thus, shuttle 23 will be maintained in the forward position. This arrangement will exist until a release dog 36b engages roller 37a again and rotates arm 37 a small amount clockwise about pivot 350 so as to disengage stop 34b from the notch and allow plate 34 to rotate counterclockwise about pivot 35a under the urging of spring 34a.

In order to effectuate a positive and jamproof repositioning of the shuttle, a preloading or cocking is provided sothat when pin 13b moves from the portion of groove 21b into which the shuttle is being urged, it will allow the shuttle to snap into that position substantially instantaneously. This function is provided by positioning the dogs 36a and 3612 on thewheel 36 so that the above described repositioning function of the directionalizing control means occurs while the pin 13b is traversing the groove in a direction away from the drive means 10. Considerable tolerance is allowed in this setting so that even considerable inaccuracies thereof will have no effect on the operation of the actuating mechanism.

As pin 13b is maintained in the extreme position for the major portion of the cycle, the repositioning of the shuttle may be effected even after the pin reaches that position; however, the. preloading arrangement resulting in the snap action is preferable.

As dogs 36a and 3612 are positionally adjustable on the wheel 36, changes in brush design may be readily accommodated. Further, as the arrangement and functioning of the reciprocating means are symmetrical for both. the forward and reverse direction, a balanced operation is obtained providing optimum efiiciency.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes therefor in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a brush-tufting machine having a tuft guard, means for actuating said tuft guard comprising: a driving means having one member arranged to have linearly reciprocatory motion; cam means guiding said member in any one of a plurality of paths; and crank means slidingly engaging said member and reciprocatorily rotated thereby in a direction and to the extent allowed by said cam means, the tuft guard being operatively associated with the crank means to be oscillatorily rotated thereby.

2. in a brush-tufting machine having a tuft guard, means for actuating said tuft guard comprising: drive means having one member arranged to have linearly reciprocatory motion; guide means having a shuttle movable to any of a plurality of positions, slidingly guiding said member in any one of a plurality of paths; and crank means slidingly engaging said member reciprocatorily rotated thereby in a direction and to the extent allowed by said guide means, the tuft guard being operatively associated with the crank means to be oscillatorily rotated thereby.

3. In a brush tufting machine having a tuft guard, means for actuating said tuft guard comprising: drive means having one member arranged to have linearly reciprocatory motion; guide means having a shuttle movable to any one of a plurality of positions, slidingly guiding said member in any one of a plurality of paths; a cam operating in timed relation to a device with which the tuft guard operation is to be correlated; connecting means co-operating with said cam for positioning said shuttle; and crank means slidingly engaging said member, reciprocatorily rotated thereby in a direction and to the extent allowed 'by said guide means, the tuft guard being operatively associated with the crank means to be o-scillatorily rotated thereby.

4. In a brush-tufting machine having a tuft guard, means for actuating said tuft guard comprising: drive means having one member arranged to have linearly reciprocatory motion; guide means having a shuttle movable to any one of a plurality of positions slidingly guiding said member in any one of a plurality of paths; movable means operating in timed relation to a device with which the tuft guard operation is to be correlated and provided with at least one adjustably positioned actuating member; means co-operating with each said actuating member for positioning said shuttle; and crank means slidingly engaging said drive member, reciprocatorily rotated thereby in a direction and to the extent allowed by said guide means, the tuft guard being operatively associated with the crank means to be oscillatorily rotated thereby.

5. In a brush-tufting machine having a tuft guard, means for actuating said tuft guard comprising: drive means having one member arranged to have linearly reciprocatory motion; guide means having a shuttle movable to any one of a plurality of positions, slidingly guiding said member in any one of a plurality of paths, a disc operating in timed relation to a device with'which the tuft guard operation is to be correlated and provided with a plurality of adjustably positioned dogs; means co-operating with said dogs for positioning said shuttle; and crank means slidingly engaging said drive member, reciprocatorily rotated thereby in a direction and to the extent allowed by said guide means, the tuft guard being operatively associated with the crank means to be oscillatorily rotated thereby.

6. In a brush-tufting machine having a tuft guard, means for actuating said tuft guard comprising: a unidirectionally rotated wheel, reciprocatory driving means having a pin eccentrically mounted on the wheel, a crosshead having an adjustably positioned contact member, a block pivotally attached to said pin and slidably engaging said crosshead and having actuating contact with said contact member to positively linearly reciprocate said crosshead during at least a part of each rotation of said wheel, resilient means connecting between said block and crosshead to yieldingly urge said crosshead, and a connecting element, actuating means secured to said connecting element; cam means guiding said actuating means in any one of a plurality of paths; and crank means movably engaging said actuating means and reciprocatorily rotated thereby in a direction and to the extent allowed by said cam means, the tuft guard being operatively associated with the crank means to be oscillatorily rotated thereby.

7. In a brush-tufting machine having unidirectionally rotated power means and a tuft guard, means for actuating said tuft guard comprising: drive means connected to said power means and provided with a member arranged to have linearly reciprocatory motion; guide means having a shuttle movable to any one of a plurality of positions, slidingly guiding said member in any one of a plurality of paths; a disc operating in timed relation to said power means provided with a plurality of adjustably positioned dogs; first crank means having an elcment secured to said guide shuttle for pivotal rotation thereof; intermediate control means reciprocatorily moved by engagement with said dogs to reciprocatorily operate said crank means; and second crank means slidingly engaging said member, reciprocatorily rotated there by in a direction and to the extent allowed by said guide means, the tuft guard being operatively associated with the crank means to be oscillatorily rotated thereby.

8. The tuft guard actuating means of claim 7 wherein said first crank means and intermediate control means comprise a crank arm having one end fixedly secured to said shuttle for pivotal rotation thereof, a rod member having one end pivotally secured to said crank arm, a sleeve slidably surrounding said rod, resilient means positioning said sleeve longitudinally of said rod and a plate member pivotally secured to said sleeve having dog engaging elements mounted thereon.

9. In a brush-tufting machine having a frame, unidirectionally rotating power means carried on said frame, and a tuft guard, means for actuating said tuft guard comprising: drive means secured to said power means and having a member arranged to have linearly reciprocatory motion; guide means having a shuttle movable to any one of a plurality of positions, slidingly guiding said member in any one of a plurality of paths; a disc operating in timed relation to said power means, provided with a plurality of adjustably positioned dogs; a crank arm having one end fixedly secured to said shuttle for pivotal rotation thereof; a rod member pivotally secured to said crank arm; a sleeve slidably surrounding said rod member; resilient means carried by said rod and positioning said sleeve longitudinally of said rod; a plate member pivotally secured to said frame and to said sleeve, having a latch pin and a dog engaging member; resilient means connecting said frame and said plate member, urging said plate pivotally in co-operation with said resilient means into a neutral position; a latch pivotally secured to said frame and positioned generally parallel to the direction of movement of the portion of the plate member adjacent said latch pin and havin a latch pin engaging notch and a dog engaging portion; resilient means urging said latch in engagement with said latch pin; and crank means slidingly engaging said drive member, reciprocatorily rotated thereby in a direction and to the extent allowed by said guide means, the tuft guard being operatively associated with the crank means to be oscillatorily rotated thereby.

10. In a brush-tufting machine having a tuft guard, means for actuating said tuft guard comprising: reciprocatory driving means having yielding means and positive contact means to produce a yielding drive during one portion of the operation and a direct drive during the remaining portion and a member arranged to have linearly reciprocatory motion; cam means guiding said member in any one of a plurality of paths; and crank means slidingly engaging said member and reciprocatorily rotated thereby in a direction and to the extent allowed by said cam means, the tuft guard being operatively associated with the crank means to be oscillatorily rotated thereby.

11. In a brush-tufting machine having linearly reciprocating driving means, a rotatable crank having an arm provided with a groove, and a tuft guard carried by and rotated by said crank, means for converting the linearly rcciprocatory movement of said driving means into directionalized rotary oscillatory movement of said crank comprising: a slide member linearly reciprocated by said driving means and slidingly engaging said crank arm groove; cam means having a shuttle and a groove having portions arranged angularly one to another, and adapted for reciprocatorily guiding said slide member in any one of said portions; and means operating in timed relation to said driving means for selectively positioning said shuttle.

12. In a brush-tufting machine having linearly reciprocating driving means, a rotatable crank having an arm provided with a groove, and a tuft guard carried by and rotated by said crank, means for converting the linearly reciprocatory movement of said driving means into directionalized oscillatory movement of said crank comprising: a slide member linearly reciprocated by said driving means and slidingly engaging said crank arm groove; cam means having a shuttle and a groove provided with a plurality of portions arranged angularly one to another, and adapted for reciprocatorily guiding said slide member in any one of said portions; a disc operating in timed relation to said drivin' means provided with a plurality of adiustably positioned dogs; and means co-operating with said dogs for positioning said shuttle.

13. In a brush-tufting machine having linearly reciprocating driving means, a rotatable crank having an arm provided with a groove, and a tuft guard carried by and rotated by said crank, means for converting the linearly reciprocatory movement of said driving means into directionalized oscillatory movement of said crank comprising: a slide member linearly reciprocated by said driving means and slidingly engaging said crank arm groove; cam means having a shuttle and a groove provided with a plurality of portions arranged angularly one to another, and adapted for reciprocatorily guiding said slide member in any one of said portions; a wheel operating in timed relation to said driving means provided with a plurality of adjustably positioned dogs; and means cooperating with said dogs for positioning said shuttle, having spring means adapted to yieldingly urge the shuttle for repositioning it, whereby the dogs may be positioned to actuate said spring means to urge the positioning of the shuttle into a groove portion occupied by the pin so that when said pin is moved from this portion, the shuttle snaps thereinto.

14. In a brush tufting machine having a tuft guard, means for actuating the tuft guard comprising: a driving means having a linearly reciprocating member; cam means guiding said member in either of two paths extending angularly to each other from a point of intersection; and crank means operatively associated with said member to be pivoted about a point between the two paths, the tuft guard being operatively associated with the crank means to be oscillatorily rotated thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,491,833 Van Fossen Apr. 29, 1924 1,639,557 Fisher Aug. 16, 1927 2,097,296 Lipps Oct. 26, 1937 

